FALLS OF THE PLIVA

These waterfalls (Plivski Vodopad) are magnificent and the only ones in the world located in the center of a city. The Pliva River, which originates 27 km upstream in Šipovo, flows into the Vbras River and makes a 21-meter-high jump, forming two walls of water, each about 15 meters wide. You can enjoy the spectacle from different angles. A platform has been built below for thrills and splashes (access for a fee). On the sides, the view remains impressive with the top of the banks in free access. But for a good photo, you need to take more height, as for example at the edge of the M16 road along the Vrbas in the direction of Banja Luka. Formed by a subsidence of the ground and the accumulation of limestone deposits 50 000 years ago, the site remains fragile due to the action of man. Before the last war, the waterfalls were up to 30 m high. But a sudden flood caused the collapse of the upper limestone part. According to the versions, the flood was caused by an earthquake or by the destruction of a dam upstream on the Pliva during the conflict. The construction of recent dams in Šipovo raises fears of further changes. In addition, since the digging of the Vrbas riverbed under the waterfalls in 2011, a jumping competition is organized every year on the first weekend of August: about thirty divers from the former Yugoslavia launch themselves from the center of the waterfalls at a height of 17 m.